


Old Friends

by kenchang



Category: John Wick (Movies)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-07-08
Packaged: 2020-06-24 10:39:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19721995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kenchang/pseuds/kenchang
Summary: John attends an old friend's wake and finds new enemies instead.





	Old Friends

**Author's Note:**

> Don't bother writing comments. I don't read comments anymore. If you like the story, kudos are still appreciated.

Joe Sanchez wheezes as he jogs uphill after his boss, Don Marcus de Castro. He's a good twenty years younger than the don and has been working for the man for half as long. And in every single day of that time, not once has he been able to keep up with the miraculously fit old timer.

Marcus stands at the crest of the hill, his hands on his hips. He breathes in the fresh air and admires the view of his city as the sun starts to rise. Now more than ever, he is positive that making peace with the other families was the right decision.

He hears Joe grumbling as the bodyguard struggles up the hill. The old don can't help but chuckle. Then he hears the loud buzzing of a motorcycle and sees two men, riding in tandem, racing towards them.

"Joe!" the old man yells.

The bodyguard spins, reaching for the semi-automatic pistol in his holster, but he's not fast enough. The rider in the back fires at Joe with a submachine gun. As their victim falls, the riders ride past him and speed towards the don.

In the old days, no one would dare try a stunt like this against Marcus de Castro. His skill and ruthlessness were feared by all. But that was a long time ago. Now, he's just a helpless, old man, frozen solid by fear as death approaches.

#

Eric de Castro, the late don's son and new head of the De Castro crime family, attempts to console Lily, his grieving mother, at his father's wake. Marcus was loved by many, hated and feared by even more, but he was respected by all, and the large house is full of people, including representatives from rival families, who wish to express their condolences.

"Mr. De Castro…I mean, Don De Castro," one of the family gangsters politely interrupts. "There's a man outside says he's an old friend of your father's. Wants to know if it's okay to bring his dog in."

"What?" Eric asks with a frown.

He excuses himself and follows the gangster to the entrance.

"John!" the new don exclaims the moment he recognizes the man outside. He extends his hand, and the other man shakes it.

"I'm sorry for your loss," John says. "Is it okay-?"

"Yes, yes! Bring your dog in. My God, it's been a long time."

"I know. Maybe if I had accepted your father's job offer many years ago-"

"No, no. Don't do that. Don't blame yourself for this. You made the right choice retiring. You did it for the love of a good woman, and my father was very happy for you."

Billy and Bart Tamayo of the Tamayo crime family chat quietly, cups of coffee in their hands, but Billy grows pale and gasps at the sight of the man walking alongside Eric.

"What is it?" Bart asks.

"That man! It's John Wick!" Billy whispers fearfully.

"The Boogeyman? You mean, he's real?"

"Yes, he's real! I heard he was retired. We wouldn't have done what we did if he wasn't. Shit! If he's come out of retirement because of this, we're screwed!"

"John!" Lily whimpers as she rises from her seat to wrap her arms around the visitor.

After they sit and the maid brings John a cup of coffee, John tells the widow, "Lily, I can find out who did this."

"No, John. Marcus wouldn't want that. That would start a whole new war. The peace is his legacy," the old woman answers. "He was the last of the old dons. Perhaps now, with his death, the fighting will truly be over."

"You're staying for the burial, right John?" Eric asks.

"Yes," John answers. "I got a room at a cheap motel in town."

"What for? Go get your stuff. You're staying here. You're practically family."

"I may have some very dangerous people after me right now."

"What, you don't think we can keep you safe here?"

"It's not my safety I'm worried about."

#

That night at his motel room, John watches an old black and white movie on TV from his bed as his dog bites on a chew toy. The dog suddenly turns its head towards the large window, curious at the sound of a motorcycle.

After his marriage, John thought he had left the assassin's life and all the dangers that came with it behind. He had let his guard down, and it cost him the life of his first beloved pet dog. He swore to never let his guard down again.

So he is not at all surprised when the large window is shattered by bullets from outside. He leaps off the bed and onto his pet to shield the animal. The dog whimpers fearfully as the entire room is deafiningly peppered by bullets. John grimaces as a hot slug grazes the flesh just above his left shoulder.

Finally, the shooting stops. The area is pretty desolate, so John can hear only a few people screaming in fear from somewhere far away. Then he hears a pair of voices.

"Go see if he's dead," Billy commands.

"Why do I have to do it?" Bart complains.

"Because I fucking said so! Now, go!"

Bart grumbles but does as he's told and cautiously approaches the motel.

John leaves the frightened dog. He pulls out his pistol and crawls on his belly until he is directly beneath the shattered window. John wishes he had a mirror that he can use to see how many enemies he is dealing with and where they are positioned. He can hear the shooter's footsteps coming closer. It's now or never.

John chooses to take the risk. With his gun ready, he rises from behind cover and opens fire! Bart is hit twice in the chest! He gasps, buckles, and drops his submachine gun. A second later, he falls face first, blood pooling beneath him. Billy gets hit also but only in the shoulder. He yelps in pain before quickly hopping onto his motorbike to escape.

John vaults through the window. He holsters his pistol and picks up the dead man's submachine gun. Then he walks into the middle of the road, aims at the speeding motorcycle, and shoots the rider in the back! The vehicle falls on its side and skids across the ground. Billy survives, but his leg is trapped beneath the motorcycle, and he is too badly injured to free himself. With the submachine gun still aimed at the enemy, John approaches the fallen rider.

"You killed Don Marcus de Castro, didn't you?" the retired assassin asks. "Why?"

Billy laughs bitterly, and it makes him cough out some blood.

"You and Don Marcus," he answers breathlessly. "After everything you've both done, all the lives you've taken, and you think you can just walk away from everything." He coughs again then continues, "There's only one way out for men like us."

John ponders the dying man's words. A few seconds later, he says, "Yea. You're probably right.

Then he squeezes the trigger.

#

Later that same night, John privately recounts the shoot-out to Lily and Eric at the De Castro estate.

"My God," Eric exclaims, knocking back whiskey from a glass to steady his nerves. "So it was the Tamayo brothers that killed my father."

"Yea," John answers.

"And you killed them both?"

"Yea."

"Good. Hope the bastards are burning in hell. Well, if the rest of their kin want war, we'll give them war."

"No. No wars. Tell the Tamayos I was acting on my own."

"What?! Forget it, John. I'm not gonna let you face those assholes alone."

"Look, I told you. I have some really dangerous people after me. A few dozen more won't matter."

"But, John-!"

"If they come for me, they die." John can tell that Eric is still reluctant, so he adds, "If the peace gets destroyed, then your father died for nothing."

The new don lowers his eyes and nods hesitantly.

"My only regret," John tells him, "is that I won't be able to stay for the burial."

#

After they say their good-byes, John and his dog get into a car and drive away.

"This isn't right, Ma," Eric tells his mother.

"Don't worry," Lily reassures him. "The Tamayos won't come after him. Only fools go after the Boogeyman."

END

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


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